THE CANTERBURY TALES: SUMMARY AND GENERAL PROLOGUE

The Canterbury Tales.

The life of Geoffrey Chaucer. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in the fourteenth century (1340) in London. His father was an important wine merchant. He was connected with the court: he became a page in the household of one of the King’s daughter-in-law; he was taken prisoner in France during the hundred year’s war. Chaucer began writing the Canterbury Tales when he was about forty and he hadn’t finish writing it when he died in 1400. The Canterbury Tales was almost certainly based on Boccaccio’s decameronThe place he was buried is in Westminster Abbey is known as Poet’s corner.Chaucer’s worldDuring Chaucer’s life were in power: Edward II, Richard II and Henry IV.

The France had a long war with England called Hundred Year’s war. Chaucer’s life it was also the time of the Black Death or Plague and all people said God is deaf. Thomas Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral and in April pilgrims begin their journey to Canterbury.

THE CANTERBURY TALES: GENERAL PROLOGUE

The PrologueIn the prologue Chaucer describes the pilgrims who met at tabard Inn in London, from where they started their pilgrimage.They were twenty-nine and between them, first of all there was a:

Knight: brave man who fought chivalry, truth and honour. Although he was famous, he was a modest man. He was a perfect gentleman.

Squire: the knight’s son. He was 20 years old, very good-looking and he know how to ride well, to dance, to sing and to write poems. The girls all loved him.

Prioress: (madame Elegantine) She could speak French and she had very good mamers. Infact when she was eating she was careful, not to make a mess. She was a fine, sensitive (with animals not with men)lady. She had grey eyes and soft, red lips and a white forehead.

A fat monk: who wore rich clothes and loved hunting

A fat friar; who loved pretty girls, gold and silver

The wife of bath: she came from bath (a city, and she had been married five times (so she got very rich) and she was, of course an expert in love. She had a large red face and she wore a hot and wavy coat.

The miller: a great fat man who loved drinking and telling jokes. He was also an expert thief who stole corn form his customers.

The parson: he loved god and to help other people. He gave money to the poor, gave advice to people who had problems and visited the sick. He was a very good man.

The Summoner: his job was to punish people who broke the religion laws and he had a lot of power and he used it to make money from poor people who were afraid of him.

The Pardoner: if people gave money to him, he forgave them in the name of the church. He was a liar and he earned much more money than the honest people.

CANTERBURY TALES STORIES

The knight's tale. Palamon and Arcite were two cousins who lived in the Greek city of Thebes. When Theseus, the Duke of Athens attacked their city, Palamon and Arcite fought bravely but in the end they were taken prisoner, taken back to Athens and locked in a tower.